The NHL’s Off-Ice Style Revolution: Are Players Cashing In?
Professional players now need style guidance to unlock earnings beyond performance.
In 2025, through the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NHL relaxed its dress-code rules, opening the door to more expressive attire. Months later, where do we land?
I recently collaborated on this topic with writer Ben Kriz for an article in Fashion Magazine, exploring NHL players and off-ice style. I wanted to expand on the subject here, as I’m uniquely positioned working with fashion stylists to show players, and their management, why hiring professional guidance is the key to unlocking off-ice style and revenue opportunities.
From my vantage point, the NHL, particularly in Canada, is still significantly behind when it comes to treating off-ice style as part of an athlete’s overall brand.
For example, the NFL actively organizes, guides, and monetizes off-field style, appointing Kyle Smith as Style Director of the league. The NHL, by contrast, has simply let players roam free, with no clear framework or strategy for leveraging off-ice style.
The NHL has granted players permission, but permission alone doesn’t create confidence. Without support, players are left to figure this out in real time, in public, and under scrutiny.
Recently, I met a friend in Montreal’s West Island for her child’s collegiate hockey showcase, and it really struck me how even young athletes were dressed almost exclusively in warm-ups and athletic gear, or formal wear such as suits. There was very little in between.
For athletes, developing a sense of self through personal style can feel frivolous when their entire lives revolve around training, discipline, and performance. Everything is optimized for results.
The life of a professional athlete between training and games is almost military. There’s very little time or mental space to think about an off-ice identity. You’re expected to be ready at all times, so you default to what’s familiar, functional, and approved.
So the question becomes: where does one even start?
As an agent representing fashion stylists, I reached out to multiple management groups this past fall, following the loosening of the NHL dress code. I share concrete work from our team, examples of how we can support managements & players, and published articles outlining the kinds of revenue streams this approach can generate.
Ultimately, though, I’m speaking with seasoned management executives and agents who have spent their entire careers representing NHL players without ever needing to consider this aspect of brand building until today. Yes, they’re familiar with the occasional fashion campaign for a suit retailer, but that’s the tip of the iceberg, and largely the only reference point they have. Responses are rare, and getting the message across can feel like an uphill battle.
Performance no longer is the only way to drive revenue. Personal branding and image can unlock a whole range of unexpected, out-of-the-box endorsements and collaborations that still feel genuine and aligned, giving athletes a sense of identity beyond their on-ice persona.
On the flip side, management may target a specific category of endorsements, but if a player’s off-ice image isn’t cohesive, chances are the brand will pass. This is where working with a style consultant truly strengthens an athlete’s positioning.
Do you want to endorse Casio or Vacheron Constantin?
Both can be interesting opportunities, but they represent two very distinct positions. Without a clearly pre-defined image, it’s hard for brands to understand where you truly belong. Building an athlete’s image before reaching out to brands, or shaping it intentionally around where you want them to stand is a strategy in itself.
In Canada, still to this day the most exciting niche look for me so far was Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews in S.S.Daley Look 17 long-sleeve knit which came from their Spring 2025 RTW womenswear collection. It’s such an audacious and intelligent choice that only fashion obsessives like me, those who relentlessly track runways and collections, would even notice. It signals a deep awareness of style and willingness to push boundaries in a way that is completely aligned with his personal brand.
Looking beyond fits to personal style, which I see as a different and deeper layer, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is a trip. Off the ice, he rocks a classic leather perfecto jacket with confidence, something I never would have guessed. Legendary Made-in-USA Schott NYC should absolutely be digging into their archives for his next tunnel appearance; it’s exactly the kind of authentic, attention-grabbing style that can be monetized.
These two examples represent “deep cuts” meaning unique, high-concept choices that still carry clear commercial potential. Meanwhile, most players stick to more straightforward looks, which are safer but often less distinctive. Between those extremes is a wide range of players whose style could become commercially readable with a bit of guidance, strategic styling, and intentional alignment with brands. The opportunity is there; it just needs to be unlocked.
Before brands or partnerships enter the conversation, a player needs time to understand their own taste. An experienced style consultant can guide a player through this process, helping them explore what they truly like and what aligns with their identity, without the stress of figuring it out alone or experimenting publicly. This support allows players to develop a coherent off-ice image.
Think about it. Players are already accustomed to one of the most demanding garments to wear and transport: the suit. If you optimize around that reality, off-ice style is not complicated.
When done properly, off-ice identity doesn’t distract from performance, it supports marketability, and life beyond the game.